rattle

verb

/ˈrætl/

(informal)

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they rattle	/ˈrætl/ /ˈrætl/
he / she / it rattles	/ˈrætlz/ /ˈrætlz/
past simple rattled	/ˈrætld/ /ˈrætld/
past participle rattled	/ˈrætld/ /ˈrætld/
-ing form rattling	/ˈrætlɪŋ/ /ˈrætlɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive, transitive] rattle (something) to make a series of short loud sounds when shaking or hitting against something hard; to make something do this
- Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled.
- He shook me so hard that my teeth rattled.
- She stood there, rattling the collecting tin.
[intransitive] + adv./prep. (of a vehicle) to make a series of short loud sounds as it moves somewhere
- A convoy of trucks rattled by.
[transitive] rattle somebody to make somebody nervous or frightened synonym unnerve
- He was clearly rattled by the question.
- Are you all right? You look a bit rattled.
Topics Feelingsc2

noun

/ˈrætl/

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(also rattling)
[usually singular] a series of short loud sounds made when hard objects hit against each other
- the rattle of gunfire
- From the kitchen came a rattling of cups and saucers.
see also death rattle
a baby’s toy that makes a series of short loud sounds when it is shakenTopics Games and toysc2
a wooden object that is held in one hand and makes a series of short loud sounds when you turn it round, used, for example, by people watching a sports game

Word OriginMiddle English: related to Middle Dutch and Low German ratelen, of imitative origin.